Midwestern State hosts the Comfort Inn-Ashbrook Classic

Midwestern State vs. Southern Nazarene
Friday, Nov. 15, 2013 | 7 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: MSU 1-2, SNU 1-1
Radio: 95.5 ESPN
Audio Stream: ESPN-Midwestern State Sports Network
Live Stats: MSUmustangs.com

Midwestern State vs. Southeastern Oklahoma State
Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 | 8 p.m.
D.L. Ligon Coliseum | Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: MSU 1-2, SOSU 1-0
Radio: None - Audio Stream Only
Audio Stream: ESPN-Midwestern State Sports Network
Live Stats: MSUmustangs.com

THE SCOOP
The 10th ranked Mustangs return to the hardwood on Friday and Saturday as they host the Ashbrook Classic presented by Comfort Inn. Midwestern State (1-2 ) was upset 84-75 by Texas A&M International on Tuesday night. Southern Nazarene (1-1) lost 79-60 at Oklahoma Christian on Tuesday night. Tipoff Friday night is at 7 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum/Gerald Stockton Court.

MSU then faces Southeastern Oklahoma State on Saturday. Southeastern (1-0) defeated Texas A&M-Commerce 85-83 on Tuesday in their season opener and faces Texas-Permian Basin on Friday before playing MSU. Tipoff for that game is 8:00 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm of Derek Dorris are led by junior guard Callee Cox who is averaging 18.5 points after the first two games and shoots 48.4 percent from the floor (15-of-31). Junior Aminata Fall, a 6-4 center from Dakar, Senegal, averages 16.5 points, 18.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots a contest. Senior guard Kristin Milster adds 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and four assists while shooting 42.9 percent from the field. SNU is averaging 68.0 offensively and defensively on the young season.

The Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm of coach Darin Grover got a strong performance from sophomore Breana Small-Peppers, a 5-9 forward who tallied 18 points and 16 rebounds at A&M-Commerce. Junior guard Cheree Kiser led the scoring with 20 points to go with four assists, while senior guard Ronay English tallied 13 points and shot 50.0 percent from the floor. The Savage Storm scored 85 points in their only game, while allowing 83 points.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
The Mustangs are off to a slow start after returning all but one player from last season's Lone Star Conference Championship that saw them reach the NCAA II South Central Region Championship game. All-American junior forward Andrea Carter leads the Mustangs, averaging 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds, with 1.0 steals and 1.7 assists. Junior guard Dianna Jones adds 11.7 points a game with 3.0 assists while connecting on 52.2 percent from the floor (12-of-23) and 57.1 percent from the 3-point arc (4-of-7). Junior guard Lisa Hampton averaging 11.0 points a contest, hitting 50-50 from the floor (10-of-20) and 57.1 from the arc (8-of-14). Senior Kirsti Degelia is scoring 8.0 points a contest with 3.1 assists. MSU is averaging 67.0 points and allowing 68.3 so far this year.

ABOUT THE SERIES
Midwestern State is even in the series with Southern Nazarene 7-7, but hasn't faced the now Crimson Storm since November 25, 2000 when MSU lost to SNU 78-68 in Plainview, Texas.

Southeastern Oklahoma State leads the series with MSU 16-9 and has won five of the last six meetings in the series. SOSU downed MSU 80-71 at Ligon Coliseum on Nov. 30, 2010 in their last meeting.

LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs saw Texas A&M International go on a 33-2 run ending the first half and starting the second. Still the Mustangs, who trailed by 28 points at one time, made a comeback to sit just nine back in the last 90 seconds, but it wasn't quite enough. Dianna Jones scored 16 points, while Kirsti Degelia added 15 in the loss, with Andrea Carter just missing a double-double with 11 points and eight rebounds. MSU shot 40.6 percent from the floor (28-of-69), but was 30.0 percent from the arc (6-of-20) and 65.0 percent from the foul line (13-of-20). TAMIU connected on 48.3 percent from the floor (28-of-58), including 50.0 percent from the arc (10-of-20) and 78.3 percent from the foul line (18-of-23).

MSU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Midwestern State opens the season in a spot they have never been before ... ranked in the WBCA's USA Today Sports Division II Top 25. And not just in the top 25, but the Top 10. At number 10, MSU has its highest-ever ranking in the poll after climbing to 19th in the final poll of the season in 2012-13. MSU was ranked in the Top 25 three times last season. MSU made history on Dec. 18 when it was ranked 25th and entered the Division II Top 25 for the first time in school history and returned at 25 in the last poll before the NCAA Tournament. At season's end, the Mustangs received votes in 10 weeks of the poll for the first time in a season, bettering last season's record of five weeks. MSU has now received votes in the poll 18 times, 16 weeks since the 2011-12 season and getting votes in the Jan. 10, 2002 and Nov. 28, 2001 editions of the poll.
  

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